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By Mauricio Arellano, Superintendent | San Bernardino City Unified School District

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— As San Bernardino City Unified School District’s (SBCUSD’s) Superintendent, I am in a constant state of awe that I have found myself in the same place where my educational journey began as a student, and later as a teacher, then a principal, and later as a director.

Reflecting on my own experience, it was SBCUSD teachers who saw that a kid from San Bernardino had brilliance and could shine, and I believe our teachers are uncovering the brilliance in our students day in and day out.

If I would have been able to tell my younger self about all the places I would go, I don’t think I would have believed any of it back then. Despite my own reluctance to believe in myself, I hope that this isn’t the case for the students in our District today.

My hope is that our students dare to dream and do the impossible simply because they can. One of our District priorities is to help our students unlock their potential and ensure that once they graduate, they can successfully enter college or career.

One of the lesser-known ways that SBCUSD supports students is through its efforts to help graduates find scholarships to help fund their post-high school educational dreams. As a student, I was fortunate enough to receive a multitude of scholarships, which helped me afford college.

In part due to two non-profit organizations that coordinate and fund scholarships specifically for SBCUSD students—the San Bernardino Community Scholarship Association and the Making Hope Happen Foundation—and dedicated Scholarship Counselors at each high school, SBCUSD provides a huge advantage to our graduates compared to many other California schools, including local charter and private schools, by offering more than 375 scholarships exclusively for SBCUSD graduates and assistance in helping students apply for other, non-exclusive scholarships and grants.

According to ThinkImpact and Education Data Initiative, only about 7% of students will receive a college/post-secondary education scholarship or grant. Of those, 16% will receive a state-funded scholarship/grant and 27% will receive federal aid in the form of a Pell Grant. Only about 3% of public school students receive private scholarships, usually averaging about $3,463.

Compare that to the 1,351 SBCUSD Class of 2023 May/June graduates who collectively earned more than $9 million in scholarships and grants, including military enlistment bonuses. That equated to just over 42% of all SBCUSD May/June 2023 graduates, including adult graduates of Inland Career Education Center (ICEC) and continuation high school graduates from San Andreas and Sierra High Schools.

And in case you thought that $9 million was just a fluke, you would be wrong. I was pleased to learn that SBCUSD’s Class of 2022 and Class of 2021 each earned more than $11 million in scholarships and grants.

Indian Springs High School’s 334 graduates from the Class of 2023 earned the most scholarship dollars this past school year. Graduates earned a total of $1,850,882 in scholarships and grants, which includes military scholarships and enlistment bonuses.

The oldest SBCUSD high school and my alma mater—San Bernardino High School—graduated 291 students who earned the second-highest total of scholarship and grant dollars of any SBCUSD school at $1,601,214.

A full 100% of Middle College High School‘s 48 graduates earned scholarships totaling $810,000.

Cajon High School’s 613 Class of 2023 graduates, which also included International Baccalaureate (IB) students, earned $804,811 in scholarships and grants. Another SBCUSD IB school, Arroyo Valley High School, proudly graduated 665 students who pulled in a total $1,302,000 in scholarships and grants.

Of Pacific High School’s 202 Class of 2023 graduates, 77% received a combined total of $1,285,969 in scholarships and grants. Almost 75% of San Gorgonio High School‘s Class of 2023 secured $1,500,000 in scholarships and grants, including $450,2000 from an Air Force Academy scholarship and enlistment bonuses.

SBCUSD’s continuation high schools also boasted scholarship and grant recipients, with 20 San Andreas High School and 24 Sierra High School graduates in the Class of 2023 earning $24,525 and $20,925, respectively.

Eight of ICEC’s 179 adult high school diploma and GED graduates earned a combined $13,354 in scholarships and grants.

San Bernardino Community Scholarship Association’s 87 donors were responsible for awarding 248 scholarships to SBCUSD’s Class of 2023 totaling $261,705. SBCUSD graduates are exclusively eligible to receive these scholarships. Each scholarship has unique requirements, but because there are so many different scholarships, the odds are that most graduates will qualify for at least one if not more. And new scholarships are constantly being established through the Association.

The Making Hope Happen Foundation, a non-profit supporting the District’s educational mission, awarded $3,000 mentor-supported college scholarships to 128 SBCUSD graduates this  year, for a total of $384,000. What makes these scholarships unique is that in addition to money, scholarship recipients are paired with a mentor, who is an upperclassman in college and also an SBCUSD alum, to help guide them through the college experience, helping them register for classes and navigate this new phase of their lives.

The bottom line is that San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) graduates are almost six times more likely to be awarded scholarships and grants for post-secondary education, and the average amount they receive is almost double the average across the nation. And it’s not too late for local high school students to take advantage of these resources by enrolling in SBCUSD via the District’s enrollment webpage at https://www.sbcusd.com/departments/student-services-division/enrollment-placement-services or by calling (909) 889-7576.

For more information or to donate to the Making Hope Happen Foundation, visit https://makinghope.org/ or contact CEO Niki Dettman at (909) 245-1452 or niki.dettman@makinghope.org. To create your own scholarship or donate to one of the many existing Association-managed scholarships, contact the San Bernardino Community Scholarship Association at sbcsa@sbcusd.k12.ca.us or call (909) 381-1250.

By Lila Brown | California Black Media
Recent studies suggest that the economic picture for Black Californians is not looking rosy.

Increasingly, the state is becoming more unaffordable for African Americans, leading many families to relocate to less expensive places both within and outside of the borders of the Golden state.

“After pandemic-era declines, California’s poverty rate is on the rise. Expansions to safety net programs during the pandemic reduced poverty substantially, but these expansions had mostly expired by the end of 2022,” reads a report published by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) on October 24.

For Black Californians, the poverty rate at 13.6% is more than double the percentage of African Americans living in California, which currently stands at about 5.8% of the state’s population of nearly 40 million.

“While economic growth throughout 2022 countered some of these program losses — by boosting family resources from work — the state’s overall poverty rate increased from 11.7% in fall 2021 to 13.2% in early 2023,” the PPIC report continued.

The unemployment numbers for Black Californians also remain high – and continue to climb.
According to the Economic Policy Institute, the unemployment rate for Black Californians stands at 7.4%, which is higher than the 4.5% unemployment rate for all racial groups in the state for Q2 2023.

This is also higher than the national rate of 5.8%.

In California, the Black-White unemployment rate ratio is at 1.9 to 1.

The national Black-White unemployment ratio remained at 2-to-1 in the second quarter of 2023, maintaining the historic trend of Black workers being twice as likely to be unemployed as White workers. There’s nowhere in the country where the unemployment numbers for Black and White workers are equal.

For September, the California Employment Development Department (EDD) reported that unemployment is on the rise. The state’s unemployment rate crept up to 4.7%, an increase of 144,000 people. It is the second highest unemployment rate of any state. The labor force – Californians working or looking for work – also shrank.

Between 2021 to 2022, the overall poverty rate in California rose from 11.0% to 16.4%. This increase can be linked to the high costs of living, inflation, and the end of pandemic-era supports, such as the expanded federal Child Tax Credit and other welfare benefits. While financial assistance cut the poverty rate for Black Californians by three-quarters to 9.5% in 2021, it lessened poverty for Black Californians by well under half the following year, contributing to a near doubling of their poverty rate to 18.6%.

The California Budget Center checking the pulse of households from US Census data showed that more than half (54%) of Black Californians reported facing difficulty paying for essential needs like food and housing.

Los Angeles County (15.5%) and San Diego County (15.0%) had the highest poverty rates. The Central Valley and Sierra region had the lowest (10.7%), largely due to lower housing costs.

In China last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom highlighted the strength of California’s economy, the fifth largest in the world, and President Joe Biden released his Bidenomics report in June highlighting the achievements of his Invest in America plan.

The White House reports that under the Biden-Harris Administration, Black Americans have experienced their lowest unemployment rate on record and the highest employment rate since November 2000. The participation of Black workers in the labor force has also reached its highest level since August 2008. There has been reduction in the Black child poverty rate by greater than 12%, impacting over 200,000 children, through the Thrifty Food Plan.

Most reports point to signs that the nation is currently at pre-pandemic levels and California has recovered its pandemic-induced job losses in June 2022, according to the latest California Labor Market Review released in August. However, those numbers indicating the state economy is strong and stabilizing contrast with the harsh realities confronting many Black Californians struggling every day to make ends meet.

A study by the Urban Institute released in September shines light on the complex challenges Black Californians face as more of them make the decision to relocate to less expensive areas in the state, mostly driven by a combination of economic factors like housing unaffordability, rolling layoffs, rising inflation, an increase in renter evictions and stagnant salaries.

The report indicates that, “Over the last decade, several factors have contributed to many Black residents relocating from urban epicenters to the suburbs of metropolitan areas and to smaller, less dense, less populous cities.”

“This has been the reality of many Black Californians: as the Black populations of San Francisco and Alameda counties drop, those of Contra Costa and Sacramento rise. As Los Angeles sees its share of Black residents decline, neighboring Riverside and San Bernardino shares increase,” that report further highlights.

Lisa D. Cook, Governor of the Federal Reserve Board, says unemployment lies at the root of all America’s social problems and pushing for maximum employment for all Americans is the solution to minimizing poverty. Cook made the point while accepting the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies’ Louis E. Martin Award on Oct. 18 in Washington, D.C.

“Maximum employment boosts long-run economic potential. It means that a vital resource is being used productively. A strong labor market increases labor force participation and the willingness of firms to recruit and upgrade the skills of workers,” cook stated. She explained that the Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act of 1978, also known as the Humphrey-Hawkins Act, set economic priorities for the federal government centered on promoting good-paying jobs for all Americans.

“Maximum employment also promotes business investment that boosts productivity and long-run economic potential. And the full participation of all segments of society should be expected to result in more ideas, including more diverse ideas, more invention, and more innovation,” Cook concluded.

By Edward Henderson | California Black Media
On February 16, 2022, a Black student in the Santa Barbara Unified School District was assaulted by Latino students. His attackers called him the n-word and kneeled on his neck while repeatedly, chanting the name “George Floyd.” A district-wide acknowledgment of the hate crime was not sent out until Feb. 22, of that year.
Despite the psychological trauma this student experienced, the school did little to provide him with mental health support. This is despite Assembly Bill (AB) 1145, the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act, a state law that provides specific instructions for schools to follow in such incidents.

Connie Alexander-Boaitey, President of the Santa Barbara branch of the NAACP, says against African Americans are often minimized in her city due to their representation as the smallest demographic group.

“Oh, there’s “not that many,’” Alexander-Boaitey says, referring to a common response when hate crimes are reported or when people complain about racism. “But ‘not that many’ are still being harmed.

Alexander-Boaitey was speaking during a news briefing hosted by Ethnic Media Services on Oct. 27 on school bullying. She was joined on the panel by Becky L. Monroe, the Deputy Director of Strategic Initiatives and External Affairs at the California Civil Rights Department (CRD); Dashka Slater, an award-winning journalist and author who has written books about children who are victims of bullying; Mina Fedor, a young AAPI activist who was honored by President Biden for her efforts to address racism, Xenophobia, and hate in her community; and Barbra Risling, another young activist and member of the Hoopa Valley Tribe as well as a Descendant of the Karuk and Yurok Tribes.

Alexander-Boaitey says the hate crimes and hate incidents, including bullying and cyberbullying, affecting children are all connected to “generational pain” for Black Americans.

Among schoolchildren, “It’s the pervasive calling of the n-word to Black, African American students by young Latino students,” she said. “It’s every day. Its weekly.”

Another Black family in Santa Barbara now walks their child to school to protect her from bullying classmates. And one has pulled their daughter out of the school system completely, opting for home schooling.

To address the problem, the Santa Barbara Unified School District commissioned a survey titled “2023 Anti-Blackness and Racial Climate Assessment and Analysis” that proposed a set of recommendations for addressing the problem.

The hate incidents targeting African American children are not confined to Santa Barbara but are increasing across California, according to the NAACP. These incidents, often involving physical violence and verbal abuse, are more frequent as Black families relocate to predominantly Latino neighborhoods.

In Santa Barbara, African Americans make up only 2% of the population but they account for the most victims of bullying and hate crimes in the area. At 47.5%, Latinos make up the majority of Santa Barbara’s population followed by Whites at 43.5%. According to the local NAACP branch, most of the perpetrators of the bullying and hate crimes are Latino children.

Alexander-Boaitey says she believes the hate incidents are rooted in historic racism and connected to a general desire to make Black people invisible.

“That somehow or another in an effort to move towards more White- facing or White upstanding, one group has said this group doesn’t need to be here so we can be more approximate to what is White. That’s what’s really happening in our schools,” says Alexander-Boaitey.

According to Dashka Slater, author of ‘Accountable: The True Story of a Racist Social Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives It Changed’, three in four American young people ages 15 to 25 have run into extremist content online. One in four students between the ages of four and 18 have seen hate or words or symbols written in their schools. About 1.3 million students were bullied because of some aspect of their identity during the 2018-2019 school year, according to a US Government Accountability Office report on schools. Half of those children were targeted because of their race.

“Some forms of bullying are in fact acts of hate,” said Monroe. “Some acts of hate are crimes, while others are violations of civil rights laws. Some may be lawful but incredibly harmful, nonetheless. We must recognize the civil rights issues at the heart of this discussion around bullying.”

Monroe also spoke about the state law requiring schools to provide all students with a safe environment free of harassment.

“Schools have a legal obligation to ensure that students are not denied opportunities, treated differently, discriminated against, or harassed because of their race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, or disability,” she said.

“Students who are doing the bullying are following the lead of a biased peer and imitating things that they see on social media,” said Slater. “We also see kids of color who are harassed for their identity and harassing somebody else for their identity. Studies show that kids who are the bully and bullied are the ones who have the longest lasting effects afterward.”

Studies have also shown that students who perpetuate racially motivated bullying onto their fellow classmates don’t necessarily ascribe to racist ideologies but have simply fallen into the trap of influence from outside sources online or mirroring behavior from their parents or guardians at home.

Alexander-Boaitey says Black and Latino leaders and residents from the area have not formally met yet to resolve tensions brewing between their communities.

“I know this is where the struggle really is,” she added. “How do we have leaders from the Black, Latino, and Hispanic communities sit down and have our own conversations? What makes it not happen is erasure culture that says we don’t need to talk about it, or it was a single incident.”

Some parents of California students are pushing back against ethnic studies requirements brought to schools to combat hate and ignorance.

“Parents are trying to take their kids out of the classes,” Alexander-Boaitey continued. “The bill (Assembly Bill (AB)101) does not go deep enough to fight against it. We need to start this at TK. We are way too late by the time we get to high school for this.”

Monroe says the state provides various resources and care coordination for victims of hate crimes or hate incidents.

To report hate incidents or crimes in California, victims or witnesses can file them online here. They can also call 833-8-NO-HATE; (833) 866- 4283 Monday – Friday from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm. If outside of those hours, they can leave a voicemail, or you can call 211 to report hate and seek support.

This California Black Media report was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library.

By Tanu Henry, Antonio Ray Harvey and Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media
From the Gold Rush of the 1800s to the iconic unofficial state song “California Dreaming,’” the Golden State has built an enviable reputation. It has become known around the world as a destination for fortune seekers, economic opportunities, and a laidback West Coast lifestyle made more desirable by pleasant weather and a picturesque natural landscape that incorporates breathtaking scenes — from the Pacific coast cliffs and glistening inland lakes to snow-capped mountains and lush forests housing the earth’s oldest tree species.

However, over the last few years, that perception of California’s exceptional desirability is being challenged as the state loses population to Arizona and Texas at higher levels than ever before, including a greater share of college graduates and residents at all income levels, according to a report dubbed “California Draining”, released by the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR).
“California lost a net of 407,000 residents to other states between July 2021 and July 2022, including a greater share of those with a college degree and residents at all income levels than in the past,” the report reads.

The state’s high cost of living has spurred many businesses and residents to exit, posing serious consequences for the state’s job market and fiscal outlook. California is still the largest state with more than 39 million residents as of 2022, constituting 11.7 % of the U.S. population, according to SIEPR’s report.

From 1959 to 2022, California’s average rate of population growth was 1.52 percent, but since 2000, it has been consistently below that number. The state even experienced negative growth in 2021 and 2022.

Among recent movers, Black residents make up about 12% of people exiting the state, a significant number in a state where the total Black population hovers around 5.7 %.

The report states that two-thirds of those who moved said that politics was not a factor in their decision, but the population loss has political consequences: California lost a congressional seat after the 2020 census.

SIEPR draws from an original survey of residents in California, Arizona and Texas conducted jointly by researchers at Stanford University, Arizona State University, and the University of Houston.

By Rick Burke, Navy Office of Community Outreach
MILLINGTON, Tenn. – Airman Jeremiah Davis, a native of San Bernardino, California, is one of more than 5,000 sailors serving aboard the self-contained mobile airport, USS Theodore Roosevelt.

Davis, a 2019 graduate of Eisenhower High School in Rialto, California, joined the Navy three years ago.

“I joined for the opportunities in education and to travel, as well as to have a fresh start,” said Davis.

The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in San Bernardino.

“I learned to stay humble, stay true, always be open to learning something new and keep God first,” said Davis.

Today, Davis serves as an aviation boatswain’s mate (equipment) responsible for the launching and recovery of aircraft.

“I’ve assisted in over 200 maintenance and zone inspections with my job and in supply,” said Davis. “I’ve also assisted in providing over 12,000 meals with the culinary specialists to service the crew. The thing I like best about my job is that I get to work and form bonds with amazing people from all over the world.”

Aircraft carriers are the centerpiece of America’s Naval forces. For more than 100 years, they have projected power, sustained sea control, bolstered deterrence, provided humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and maintained enduring commitments worldwide.

According to Navy officials, aircraft carriers are versatile and have unique mission capabilities that make them a more strategic asset for the Navy than fixed-site bases. They are often the first response in a global crisis because of their ability to operate freely in international waters anywhere in the world. In addition, no other weapon system can deploy and operate forward with a full-sized, nuclear-powered aircraft carrier’s speed, endurance, agility, and the combat capability of its air wing.

This year commemorates 50 years of women flying in the U.S. Navy. In 1973, the first eight women began flight school in Pensacola, Florida. Six of them, known as “The First Six,” earned their “Wings of Gold” one year later. Over the past 50 years, the Navy has expanded its roles for women to lead and serve globally, and today women aviators project power from the sea in every type of Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard aircraft. According to Navy officials, our nation and our Navy are stronger because of their service.

With 90% of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to trained sailors and a strong Navy.

As a member of the Navy, Davis is part of a world-class organization focused on maintaining maritime dominance, strengthening partnerships, increasing competitive warfighting capabilities and sustaining combat-ready forces in support of the National Defense Strategy.

“The Navy contributes to national defense by showing our allies we are capable of defending them, and showing our adversaries that we won’t go down easy,” said Davis.

Davis has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.

“I am proud of the positive impact I have on other sailors in helping them achieve their goals,” said Davis.

As Davis and other sailors continue to train and perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the U.S. Navy.

“Serving in the Navy gives me the chance to better myself while protecting the people I love,” added Davis.

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

The NAACP California Hawaii State Conference (Cal-Hi NAACP) held its 36th annual State Convention at the San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront Hotel.

The convention featured a series of workshops and discussions organized to promote solutions for some of the most pressing issues impacting Black communities in California and Hawaii. The focus was on a range of topics, including next-generation leadership, environmental justice, housing, veteran’s affairs, labor, education, and more.

“This is when we bring our branches to get them trained up and ready to go back into their communities ready to fight for what we’re fighting,” said NAACP Cal-Hi President Rick Callender. “What we are fighting, we’re fighting for criminal justice, environmental justice, equity in education, equity in the legislation and trying to move the NAACP’s agenda forward.”

 This year’s event, themed “This Is How We Thrive,” was held from Oct. 27 to 29. Around 500 NAACP Cal-Hi leaders, delegates, elected officials, activists, organizers, faith leaders, and entertainers from across the state and Hawaii participated in the festivities.

Keynote speakers at this year’s Convention included Dr. Hazel N. Dukes (Spingarn Medalist, NAACP Board of Directors, NAACP New York President), Eleni Kounalakis (Lt. Governor of California), Rob Bonta (California Attorney General), Shevann Steuben (NAACP Texas Youth & College Division President, NAACP Houston, Young Adult Committee Chair, NAACP Board of Directors), Oakland City Councilwoman Treva Reid (District 7) and Los Angeles-based attorney Kamilah Moore (Chair, California Reparations Task Force).

Moore reminded the attendees at the Women In the NAACP

Labor Luncheon on Oct. 28 that the NAACP has been a beacon of light ensuring Black Americans are granted their constitutional rights.

Since Feb. 12, 1909, the NAACP has advocated, agitated, and litigated for civil rights. Its legacy is built on a foundation of grassroots activism by the biggest civil rights pioneers of the 20th century and is sustained by 21st century activists.

“We are resiliently surviving the afterlife of chattel slavery. In fact, as African Americans we have been confronting these lingering badges and incidents of slavery without any significant government aid or private actions. We’ve been doing it on our own and the NAACP is a testament of that,” Callender said during the luncheon.

Several influential leaders — U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA-12), Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Alameda), Exodie C. Roe III (General Services Administration, Washington D.C.), NAACP Senior Vice President of Communications Trovon C. Williams — spoke at the convention.

NAACP Cal-Hi’s Youth and College Division hosted multiple workshops, including a “Stop the Hate Mock Trial,” and another titled “Youth Focused Dinner, Juvenile Justice Workshop, and Health Forum.”

On Oct. 27, NAACP Cal-Hi presented an exclusive preview of “The Space Race,” a National Geographic documentary that weaves together stories of Black astronauts seeking to break the bonds of social injustice in their quest to reach for the stars.

On the evening of Oct. 28, Callender joined Dr. Hazel N. Dukes for a fireside chat at the President’s Awards Dinner. Earlier, on the afternoon of Oct. 27, a special “Hats Off Award” ceremony was held honoring Alice Huffman, President Emeritus of the NAACP Cal-HI State Conference, at the WIN Luncheon.

From this day on, the Hats Off Award will be incorporated into the convention to recognize individuals from California and Hawaii who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and commitment to social justice and equity.

Huffman was first elected president of the Cal-Hi NAACP in 1999 and served eight terms of unwavering service and provided significant contributions.

She expressed her gratitude for having an award named after her and said she was proud to be around appreciative people at the convention who understood the work she performed for the Cal- Hi NAACP.

“It’s an honor to see all of you, feel your love, feel your understanding and appreciation,” Huffman said. “Let me tell you, it wasn’t always easy, but it was great. I hope that I never let you down. I don’t think that I ever have. I don’t know what else to say to you all but thank you, thank you, thank you.

By Tanu Henry, Antonio Ray Harvey and Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media
Less than half of the Black students enrolled at California State University (CSU) campuses graduate.

That troubling statistic was one data point in an announcement released by CSU during its Graduation Initiative symposium Oct. 2023 in San Diego.

Overall, the data painted a positive picture of student performance at CSU, but the Black student graduation rate at 47% stuck out as a dim spot.

The difference in graduation rates between students from historically underserved backgrounds and their peers remains an ongoing challenge for the CSU system. For example, the graduation rates for all historically underserved students and Pell Grant recipients increased by one percentage point each over the last year.

“We recognize this important opportunity to engage and collaborate with our larger community to narrow equity gaps so that all students have an opportunity to earn a life-changing college degree,” acknowledged Jennifer Baszile, CSU associate vice chancellor of Student Success & Inclusive Excellence. “This work is a moral imperative for the CSU, and it is essential for meeting California’s need for a thriving, diverse workforce.”

The report indicated that four-year graduation rates remain flat for the 23-campus system.

On the upside, the data reveals that CSU undergraduate students are earning their degrees at faster rates than ever before and are now graduating an average of one semester earlier compared to when the Graduation Initiative 2025 was initiated.

The information released shows that the CSU’s systemwide four-year graduation rate for first-year students remains at 35%, nearly doubling the rate (19%) at the launch of the initiative in 2015.

The improved outcomes, combined with enrollment increases, have contributed to an additional 150,000 bachelor’s degrees earned. But as CSU looks past the year 2025, its administrators plan to devise strategies to improve outcomes for all students, with a particular focus on Black student success and other historically underserved groups.

By Tanu Henry, Antonio Ray Harvey and Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) verified that Californians who had postponed filing their taxes until the October 16, 2023, deadline — now have until Nov. 16, 2023, to file and pay their 2022 taxes to avoid penalties.

FTB generally conforms to the IRS’s deferred schedules for events declared as disasters by the U.S. President.

In addition, taxpayers in 55 California counties, excluding Lassen, Modoc and Shasta counties — who were impacted by winter natural disasters — are eligible for an extension to file and pay their 2022 federal income taxes until November 16, 2023.

Taxpayers impacted by a presidentially declared disaster may claim a deduction for the disaster loss. More details and guidelines are available in FTB Publication 1034, titled “2022 Disaster Loss: How to Claim a State Tax Deduction.”

Taxpayers can claim a disaster loss either on their 2023 return next spring, or on this year’s return against 2022 income. An amended return may be filed by those who have already filed this year. Claiming the loss on a 2022 return allows for a quicker refund.

By Tanu Henry, Antonio Ray Harvey and Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media

Last week, Gov. Newsom announced that he has doubled the funding for a state grant program created to help religious institutions, places of worship and faith-based non-profit improve their security.

‘The deadline to apply is October 27.

“Today’s announcement authorizes $10 million in state funding to immediately increase police presence at places of worship and authorizes an additional $20 million investment to the California State Nonprofit Security Grant Program to provide physical security enhancements to nonprofit organizations — including synagogues and mosques — that are at high risk for violent attacks and hate crimes,” read an email from Newsom’s office.

“The program fully funds upgrades that include reinforced doors and gates, high-intensity lighting and alarms, access control, and more,” the email provided more details.

By Tanu Henry, Antonio Ray Harvey and Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media

Shortly after Sen. Laphonza Butler announced that she will not run in the race to succeed Sen. Dianne Feinstein next year, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA-12) responded to the news.

“Senator Butler took on the enormous responsibility of filling an open senate seat with grace, integrity, and a deep commitment to delivering for the people of California,” wrote Lee in a statement on social media.

“I look forward to continuing our work together for the remainder of her term,” continued Lee, who is among the three contenders and the only Black American — in the crowded race for the U.S. Senate seat Butler currently occupies.

Gov. Newsom appointed Butler to complete the term of Feinstein, who passed away last month. The other two contenders for Senator with Lee are her Democratic colleagues, Congressmembers Katie Porter (D-CA-47) and Adam Schiff (D-CA-30).

In a statement on Oct. 19, Butler said her decision not to run may not be what people expected, but it is the best one for her.

“I’ve always believed elected leaders should have real clarity about why they’re in office and what they want to do with the responsibility and power they have,” wrote Butler in a statement.

“I’ve spent the past 16 days pursuing my own clarity – what kind of life I want to have, what kind of service I want to offer and what kind of voice I want to bring forward,” she continued. “After considering those questions I’ve decided not to run for a full term in the US Senate. Knowing you can win a campaign doesn’t always mean you should run a campaign. I know this will be a surprise to many because traditionally we don’t see those who have power let it go.”

Quoting Muhammad Ali, Butler added, “Don’t count the days. Make the days count. I intend to do just that.”

Butler, who expressed strong support for the Black press during a 30-minute Zoom call last week, has not yet announced her endorsement for her successor.